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Questions and Answers
The techniques for crafting a violin and a guitar are similar.
False
The top piece of a violin has a circular resonance hole.
False
Antonio Stradivari was a French virtuoso violinist.
False
Pierre Amoyal purchased a famous Stradivarius when he was an old man.
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Luthier starts with a single rectangular slab of wood to craft a violin.
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The top piece of a violin is made from maple wood.
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The fingerboard is also known as the handle.
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The back of a violin is concave on the inside and convex on the outside.
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Antonio Stradivari was from the Italian region of Tuscany.
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The varnish of a violin is not crucial to its quality.
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Study Notes
Violin vs. Guitar Construction
- Although violins and guitars share similarities, their crafting techniques are completely different.
- Guitar bodies are made of flat pieces of wood, whereas violins have convex tops and bottoms.
Violin Crafting Process
- A luthier starts with two rectangular slabs of wood (spruce for the top, maple for the bottom).
- The slabs are cut into the violin profile, then hand-carved to create concave inner and convex outer surfaces.
- The top piece has two f-shaped resonance holes, and precision carving is crucial for a violin's quality.
Varnish and Stradivarius
- The greatest violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, possessed a secret varnish recipe that died with him.
- Stradivarius was from Cremona, Lombardy, Italy, and his violins are renowned for their exceptional quality.
The Stolen Stradivarius
- Pierre Amoyal, a French-Swiss virtuoso violinist, owned a stolen Stradivarius, previously owned by Tsar Nicholas II.
- The violin was stolen in 1987, along with Amoyal's Porsche, and a ransom of £1.5 million was demanded.
- The instrument was recovered four years later, amid rival gang conflicts and a murder.
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Description
Learn about the differences in crafting a violin and a guitar, despite their similarities in appearance.
